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<title>something you did that failed to be charming. by sanctify (pains)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22635535">something you did that failed to be charming.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pains/pseuds/sanctify'>sanctify (pains)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>you're just like saturn to me - lovesquarefluffweek2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste Is Not Alright, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Ladybug Is Not Alright, Love Square Fluff Week 2020, LoveSquareFluffWeek, Trust Issues, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, there isn't much fluff here oops im sorry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:07:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22635535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pains/pseuds/sanctify</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>take a moment to think of just flexibility, love, and trust.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Ladrien - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>you're just like saturn to me - lovesquarefluffweek2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1628221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>something you did that failed to be charming.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i lied.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>day 2: trust</i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They were on his bed, his head rested against Ladybug’s chest, listening to the sound of her heartbeat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hummed softly, it sounded like something from Steven Universe, while her hands were in his hair, playing with the strands. She continued humming, soon turning into whispered lyrics, her hands were hypnotic, rubbing soothingly on his scalp and the back of his neck comfortingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” she says again, lips pressed on the crown of his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not your fault,” he answers, again, lips pressed against her sternum. “I was the one that kept trying.” He knew what she was apologizing about, of course. They’d had this little song-and-dance a few times now. The guilt always came back to her whenever he mentioned he couldn’t sleep because of a nightmare, even if said nightmare wasn’t about Desperada (not anymore, at least. But it was still about akuma that have come too close to harming his Lady.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still,” She sighed heavily. “25,913 times, Adrien. That’s between 17 days to 3 months. I don’t know how you can stand to see me and not… not hate me.” She whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I can’t, and I won’t.” He answered easily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You make it sound as if this wasn’t my fault.” She says grouchily. “I probably gave you post-traumatic stress, Adrien. How—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ladybug. Please. It’s fine, you're fine.” He says,</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘Don’t blame yourself for my stupidity, Milady.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wants to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you say that?” She asked, arms wrapping around his waist now. “How can you look at me and still trust me when I’ve probably broken you beyond repair?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Ladybug,” he sighs, looking up to meet her eyes. “I’m not alright, not right now, and I probably won’t be for a while,” he smiles sadly at her at that, “But I’ll get better. I’m made of tough stuff, y’know? Agreste men are resilient.” He says, remembering something his mother told him all those years ago. “I don’t blame you, because every time I’ve come close to giving up, you were always there for me. In those little moments in the 25,913 times, before you disappeared from my eyes, you were always ready to help me. You were always eager to help me. You believed in me, Ladybug, and I…” He licked his lips, “I wanted that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughed at himself, “I wanted to be worthy of that trust you had in me, worthy of being able to help you like that.” He sighed, “Of course, in the end, I couldn’t handle it, and finally thought, maybe I’m not cut out for this job.” He couldn’t handle the Snake Miraculous, but that was fine, he’d settle for his own Miraculous. He and Plagg were a great team, after all. No matter how annoying his kwami could get sometimes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I trust you a whole lot, Ladybug. I know you wouldn’t purposefully pick the wrong person for the job.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But what if I did?” Ladybug asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you?” This was the first time he was hearing this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if I… Adrien, what if I wanted to choose you for this job? What if… what if I picked you even though there was a b-better candidate for the job?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you aware that Luka would have been a better chosen for the Snake?” He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not… no. I didn’t even…” She hadn’t even considered Luka.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That statement fills his heart with warmth and some pride. His Lady had chosen him, his civilian self—had considered him and no one else—to help her out. Sure, it led to a failure that scarred him a lot, but… gods, he was hopeless. She really did trust him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Ladybug.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And look where that got you…” She muttered darkly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ladybug,” he sighed. “People make mistakes, all the time. You’re not infallible, you’re not exempt from making human error.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. I know. But my mistake almost cost you your sanity, Adrien. I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for almost pushing you to the edge.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath, “I almost lost you during Gorizilla, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes at the memory. Wind whipping his face, the ground beside Tour Montparnasse closing in on him. He had darkly entertained how his body and blood would splat on the ground if Ladybug hadn’t saved him on time and he hadn’t chosen to transform in front of all those people.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew you’d save me,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You trust too quickly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wants to say</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘No, not really. But if it’s you… if it’s you.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead he says, “I guess that’s my fatal flaw.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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